Prairie fire-fighter.



Patented Nov. 10, 1908;

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0 I PL P P A W. F. MIKOLASEK.

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W. IY'. MIKOLASEK. PRAIRIE rm: FIGHTER.

Arrmcmlou num rss. 4. 190s. Patented NOV. 10, 1908.

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APPIIOATIOB FILED FEB. 4, 1908. Patentod Nov. 10, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE.

WENOESLAUS F. MIKOLASEK, OF VODNANY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

PRAIRIE FIRE-FIGHTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I,- WENonsLAUs F. MiicoLAsEK, citizen of the United States, resid'- ing at Vodnan in the county of Bonhomme and State of bouth Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Prairie-Fire Fighters, of which the following is a specification. l

The obj ectof this invention is an improved apparatus for use in fighting prairie fires, the invention embodying a preferably self-propelled vehicle lor truck arranged to travel acrossa prairie or field and burn a strip or zone, the apparatus being provided .with means for extinguishing the flame along the fired stri immediately, and preventing the communication of the re to the other parts of the fields.

With these and other. objectsin view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists incertain constructions and larrangements ofy the that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim. 4 For a full understanding ofthe invention, reference is to be had to the following de-v scription and accompanying drawings, in

which:

.3 is a sinular view of a modification. Fig. 4

is a detail sectional view illustrating the a bottom plan view illustrating the pre erred stag ered' or alternating arrangement of the brus es. Fig. 6 is a .transverse sectional :view through a portion of the vehicle and through the fire fighting apparatus carried thereb and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the fire fig ting apparatus, a portion thereof being shown in section to more clearly illustrate the arran ement of the brushes used to extiii uish t e fire.

(iorresponding andlike parts are referred description and indicated in all the views o the drawings by the saine reference characters.

My improved ,fire fighting truck embodies a body portion 1, front axle 2 supported on the front traveling wheels 3 and rear axle 4 with its traveling wheels 5. A rime mover 6 which may be a gasolene or ot er en ine, is lpre erably near .the rear end thereof, and t e driving parts Ilatented Nov.` 10, 19H8.

shaft 7 of the engine carries a s rocket wheel 8' which is connected b a sproc et chain 9 t0 a similar wheel 10 on t ie countershaft l1 eX- tending transversely underneath the body portion 1 of .the truck and journaled in suitable hangers. At its ends, the counteshaft 1'1 carries spur pinions 12 which mesh with gear wheels 13 on the rear axle 4, so as to turn the axle and rear traveling Wheels 5 in a direction to propel the truck forwardly.

The truck may be guided to the right or to the left by means of a steering rod 14 Awhich l carries the steering wheel 15 at its rear end and which extends forwardly down through the body portion 1 of the truck and is pro vided .at its lower forward endwith a worm 16 meshing with a worm gear 17. ,This worm gear 17 is secured on a transversely extending shaft 18 supported underneath the bod portion 1 of the vehicle, and steering 'cab es or chains 19 wind in respectively different directions on the shaft 18 and are connected to the front axle 2 near the ends thereof, so that as said shaft is rotated in one 'direction or the other through the instrumentality of the worm gearing and steering rod 14, one of the cables will wind up on the shaft and the other unwind therefrom 4so as to 'turn the vehicle to the ri ht or to theleft.

A reservoir 20 for liqui fuel, such as gasolene or other hydrocarbons, is mounted on the front end ofthe body por-tion 1 of the truck and an air pump 21 is also mounted on said body portion in juxtaposition to the .reservoir 20, the said air pump being provided with a pipe 22 connected to the roservoir so as to feed air therein, said ipe 22 he ing provided with an ordinary c ieck valve or other valve, as desired.4

In one embodiment of the invention, a single fuel supply pipe 23 is secured at one 6nd 1n the top of tie reservoir 20- and extends outwardly therefrom and down along one side of the truck to the ground, said supply 4pipe being provided at its lower louter end with a laterally extending attenuated nozzle 24 formed with a series of jet orifices as shown, and carryin an igniting pan 25. Preferably as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the nozzle 24 is connected to the main portion of the -su )ply pipe 23 by a two-way joint 26, so that tlie'nozzle may be turned upwardly towards the vehicle to pass over obstructions as the a )paratus advances. The pipe 28 is provide with a globe o1' `other form of valve 27 so that the liquid fuel may be allowed to `flow from the reservoir to the nozzle 24 after the nozzle has been properly heated by the i nition of gasolene or the like in the pan 25, tIie fuel being forced through the pipe 23 by the air pressure supplied by the pump 21 and the gaseous fuel formed passing out through the rearwardly opening jet orifices in tlie nozzle to set fire to the rass as the machine travels along the prairie. f

In order to revent the flames from being communicate to the grass in front ofthe vehicle or apparatus, and starting forwardly therefrom without control, a roller 28 is mounted in front of the nozzle 24 and is designed totravel along the ground. To confine the flame or burned area to a strip or zone of sufficient width to effectivelyfight the prairie fire and at the same time to protect the vehicle and its operator from the flames,` I provide an asbestos or other curtain 29 which in the presentl embodiment of the inveililtion illustrated in Fig. A1, dis, likelthe fire tin a aratus, su orte entirey u on orgie sidge dfpthe vehiclp This asbestos gurtain 29 is of an extent laterally to encompass 'the nozzle 24 and is preferably supported from the right hand side of the bod portion l1 of the truck by means of lateral races 30 and an angular rear brace 31. lThe curtain is carried'lby a rectangular framework 32 to which the. outer ends of the brace rods are .point of vantage in connected, and the entire curtain with its framework and other correlated parts may lbe swung upwardly and carried in a suspended relation in order to ass over obstructions, or vto travelquic y to the proper hting the fire, by

l means of a cable 33 which is secured to the outer side of the curtain framework 32 and is mounted to wind upon a winch or hoisting drum 34 supported upon the body portion 1 of the truck.

.The extent of the asbestos or other protective curtain 29, longitudinali considered, may be varied accordm to ju gment, but in any event should Vbe o sufficient length to permitthe rass to be thoroughly consumed after it has een lighted by the nozzle 24, be-

fore the flames are 'extinguished by the brushes secured to the rear end of the apparatus. j i

In the preferred arrangement of the parts,

I provide a transversely extendingseries of extinguishing brushes and two lon tudinally extendin series of extinguishing i'ushes, as

` clearly -il us'tratedl in the drawing. Preferably the rear transversely extending series of brushes are arranged in two sets with two rows of brushes to the set, the individual brushes, designated 35 are 4guided for a vertilcalmovement and are pressed downwardly.l 'by means of springs 36 so as to effectively wipe into .any depressionsor uneven surfaces along t e ground as the vehicle advanced along t vancesso as to com letely extinguish the fire. The side brus ies 37 are similari 'spring pressed, but are arranged in a single e row, as shown, while the rear brushes of t two sets are mounted in an alternating ar rangement, sov as to leave no space on the ground where a brush will not act. The rear rushes 35 referably run on the traveling rollers 38. n that forni of the invention illustrated in Fi 3, it will be seen that my invention may a so include a ilurality of `noz zles 24, two of tliein exten ing laterally on opposite sides of the vehicle, and the third extending along the rear end of the vehicle,

and in transverse directions, the fire zone with such an arrangement of parts being obviously, considerably wider than with the arrangement above described. In this modification or amplification of the invention, the

rear brushes 35 are emplo ed similar to the brushes 35, except that on y one set of rear brushes is shown extending from side to side of the fire fighting a pai'atus and mounted on the traveling wheeis 38a. The front rollers 28, similar to the rollers 28 are also provided asshown, and in addition thereto is a third protective roller designated 28h and mounted m front of the rearwardly disposed nozzle. In this form of the invention, an asbestos curtain is provided to protect the vehicle from the flames and the outlyin portions from being fired, the vsaid curtain eing sup-v ported on the framework 32-in'cludin any desired construction and arrangement o supportin rods 30 and brace rods 39.

In t e practical operation of my improved fire fighting a paratus, the machine is ad- Ihe prairie in the pro er direction to most successfully co e wit the oncoming fire, and the rass a ong a predetermined strip or zone is red b the flames from the nozzles 24 oi' 24, as t ie case may be.

All outl l ing portions of the grass are rotecte d by t e curtain and side'and rear rushes, the said brushes effectively putting out the fire on thefired portions or strip of rass, so that the fired or burned area will-c eck the oncoming fire and prevent it from spreading beyond said area or zone, the invention clearly keeping the pur osel started fire under control and within oun s. f

Having thus described the invention, what is claime as new is: a t `1. In an apparatus o f the character described the combination of a supportin vehicle, a grass firing apparatus carried t iereby, andmeans for automatically extinguishing the fired grass, said extinguishing means being also supported by the vehicle.

2 In .an apparatus of the character described, tIie combination of a grass rin japparatus, means for conveying tlie same a on the fields to' ignite the rass, .and mechanic iIneans for subsequent y extinguishing the sossa 8 3. In an apparatus 'of the character desuHplying fuel to said nozzle, and a ground 25 scribed, the combination of a supporting vero er'mounted'in front of said nozzle. hiele arenozzlecan'iedtherel', meansfor 7. In an apparatusof the character dep l fuel to said nozzle, an scribed, the combination of a supporting veing can-iedbythevehicle in the rear hicle, a firing nozzle carried thereby, means said nozzle. -for supplying fuel to said.nozzle,'and a fire 3o l 4. In an apparatus of the character deproof curtain also carried by said vehicle, the

scribed, the combination of 'a supportingvenozzle being located within the curtain.. A y hielo arenozzlecarriedthereby, meansfor 8. In an apparatus of the character de- 1n su fuel, to the said nozzle, and vertiscribed, the combination of a supgortf vedable e' :lv brushescarried hicle, aiiringnozzle carried there y an ex- 35 by said vehicle inthe rear l said nozzle. tending laterallytherefrom and arranged to 5. An apparatus of the character debe raised and lowered towards or away from scribed, comp a solporting vehicle, a the vehicle, and an asbestos curtain support- 15 nozzle carri there means for suped by said vehicle, the nozzle beinglocated plymg fuel to said nozzle, a transversely exwithm the curtain, and means mounted on 4o series of M; :.l' brushes arthe vehicle forraisingthecurtain.

to be trailed by said vehlcle along the In testimony whereof I aHix my signature ground in thfrelar of said nozzle, agg lo in preseneeof two witnesses. 2J tudmal' rows rushesexten msal f n l to the l n ib ldmg WENCESLAUS F. MIKOLASEK.

6. In an apparatus of the character de- `Witn: scribed, the combination of a supporting ve- M. Susann,

hicle, a fire nozzle carried thereb means for F. C. BannELL. 

